Steubenville Rape Trial

I found that there was so much wrong on so many levels.......certain adults in a position of trust tried to sweep this case under the carpet.

I wondered if the boys convicted thought they were doing something criminal? I wonder how often this sort of thing goes on in our high schools.......much of the evidence in this trial came from social media. Clearly we aren't doing a good job of teaching children of both sexes about giving consent to sex, how much getting drunk will impair judgement, how they should respect themselves and others.

Steubenville, Ohio (CNN) -- A judge found two Steubenville star high school football players guilty Sunday of raping an allegedly drunk 16-year-old girl.

Judge Thomas Lipps announced his decision after reviewing evidence presented over four days of testimony in the case against 17-year-old Trent Mays and 16-year-old Ma'lik Richmond, who were tried as juveniles.Mays and Richmond were tried before Lipps, a visiting judge, without a jury. The trial moved quickly -- and through the weekend -- to accommodate the judge's schedule.They face the possibility of being jailed until they are 21.The ruling brings an end to a trial that has gained national attention for its lurid text messages, cell phone pictures and videos, and social media posts surrounding the alleged sexual abuse of the girl.

I know that Fox News is not a favored source for many here, but the opinion piece written by Dr. Keith Ablow (a psychiatrist) raises some points that I think, are sadly accurate.

They are absent from their own lives and those of others. They are floating free in a virtual world where nothing really matters other than being cool observers of their own detached existence, occasionally alighting on one another's bodies, in sexual embraces that remind them--for an orgasmic moment--that they are actually alive and actually human.
The psychological epidemic dissolves courage and compassion and is the most virulent and dangerous one our culture and the world has ever faced. It could ruin us.

What these boys did was sick. It was rape. It was using power to humiliate. Rape is not much about sex, and a lot about power and control. No matter how drunk she - was rape is rape. Why did they rape? There are many in the field who believe that once a rapist, this behavior will continue regardless of treatment options. I don't know.

If they had not been shielded because of their status in school would things have been handled differently?

I do not know how common this is in schools, I suspect it happens much more frequently than we know, or could even imagine.

One in six women report rape or attempted rape. The odds when drugs or alcohol addiction enters the picture basically doubles that figure. The use of alcohol and date rape drugs are common in order for perpetrators to make the victims compliant and less apt to report because memory is faulty.

It is sad that it had to get so much press coverage. It is sadder that it is not unique. Will this be a wake up call for changes? I doubt it. And perhaps that is the saddest thing of all.

still, i am somewhat pleased at the media's role in this...
as it has created dialogue - much needed dialogue.
and, i am counting on ohio's ag dewine to convene a grand jury, as i know there are more culpable participants...
whether it was direct or indirect involvement.

for once, i have to appreciate the media's contributions and perspectives, as they evoked an unexpected response from its readers.
and now it seems, that people from various paths/backgrounds, will be held accountable (fingers crossed).
that is a good thing.

It is worth noting that the Ohio attorney general, Mike DeWine, is not leaving this verdict with just these two “poor boys.” Calling sexual assault a “societal problem,” he’s vowed to dig deeper. From The Huffington Post:

The announcement of the verdict was barely an hour old Sunday when state Attorney General Mike DeWine said he was continuing his investigation and would consider charges against anyone who failed to speak up after the attack last summer, a group that could include other teens, parents, coaches and school officials.
A grand jury will meet in mid-April to consider evidence gathered by investigators from dozens of interviews, including with the football team’s 27 coaches. Text messages introduced at the trial suggested the head coach was aware of the rape allegation early on. DeWine said coaches are among officials required by state law to report child abuse. The coach and the school district have repeatedly declined to comment.
“I’ve reached the conclusion that this investigation cannot be completed, simply cannot be completed, that we cannot bring finality to this matter without the convening of a grand jury,” DeWine said.

It seems the message DeWine is offering is one that demands accountability from everyone involved. That is the correct message. At least one of them.

If the coaches knew and did not report I do hope they throw the book at them. A coach is a trusted figure to young men. Tacit acceptance of rape is not the message that they should be giving. It cost JoePa his legacy.

Indeed the media and the way they reported this case has created some dialogue.

The way the guilty self reported the crime on social media leads me to believe that though they may have thought they were humiliating someone or behaving badly, their actions were not criminal. Even if their actions were criminal they thought they were untouchable. After all, their coach was happy to ignore it. Other classmates were still willing to call the girl a "****".

Even after conviction we have them being called "poor boys".

I hope that this case sends a message to every teenager in America that this is criminal behavior that should never be tolerated.

The other thing I believe society needs to get over is that people who are good at sport are not necessarily heroes that can do no wrong. They are put up on a pedestal be it at high school, college or professional level and the idolization needs to stop.

My older adult children came "of age" in the era of instant messaging and the beginning of MySpace. I've learned from that experience that my youngest will NOT have access to any of the technology available today. No iPhone. No laptop. No internet access. No FB. He can do his homework, supervised, and use the internet for that.

I really think our kids would be better off without this kind of technology that seems to have taken over their lives. It can push them to the edge of saying things they would never say in person.

I heard some advice yesterday on the radio about a woman who found some text messages on her junior high aged son from a girl who was offering him a BJ . . he initially didn't know what that was and she said she'd "go down" on him. The advice was, take that cell phone over to the girl's home and show the messages to the parents. Don't do it in a way that will make them defensive. Do it compassionately. Then, take the phone away from the boy.